Foreigners will now have their fingerprints taken when entering China

Authorities will begin storing fingerprints from non-PRC citizens

Posted: Friday February 10 2017 11:20AM

Flickr: West Midlands Police

You use one to unlock your smartphone and now you're going to have to use one to get into China. We are of course talking about a fingerprint, after news that the Ministry of Public Security has announced the introduction of new and improved border checks that will see foreigners have their fingerprint information stored upon entering the country.

Starting at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport on February 10, the new regulations will be gradually introduced at all entry points across the country and will apply to all foreigners aged 14-70 (unless they hold diplomatic passports and visas or are residents of Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan), according to reports in the South China Morning Post.

A statement from the Ministry read: 'Storing biological identification information of people entering and leaving borders is an important border control measure, and many countries have started to implement the regulation.' These other countries include France, Japan and the USA, the latter of whom's Trumped-up border security has been an international talking point of late.